Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari accused the ISIS terrorist organization of using human shields in its battle to hold onto the key Iraqi city of Mosul.
Iraq is currently engaged in a joint campaign with the US to retake Mosul, which is ISIS' last urban stronghold in Iraq. al-Jaafari spoke Tuesday about the campaign during a visit to Hungary.
Al-Jaafari said that the offensive in Mosul has been slowed by ISIS' use of human shields, but that 1,700 ISIS fighters have been killed and another 120 have been captured.
He also said that 62,000 refugees had left Mosul during the fighting, and that Iraq was "prepared to receive many more."
Brig. Gen. Haider Fadel of the Iraqi special forces told the AP that Iraqi forces are "cautiously advancing" through Mosul even though they are meeting heavy resistance from ISIS fighters.